Lynette Reed arrived in northern Italy from her home state of California, February 20, 2020. Over the coming days, reports of COVID-19 increased and very quickly, the word “lockdown” became part of our every day vocabulary. Delta Airlines followed swiftly and began canceling flights, so Lynette found herself stuck in Bassano del Grappa. “It was a terrifying time,” recalls Lynette “As I have always created, I knew the best way to get through it was to find something to do with my hands. What I didn’t realize was painting was about to open an amazing world to me and become my obsession.” She started painting religiously every day populating her canvases with lively or moody hues forming lines and shapes off all sorts that together created harmonious and abstract landscapes.

“Living in this beautiful Northern Italian town has a great influence on my paintings.” says Lynette “The colors, the light, the aging peeling paint, the winding cobblestone streets, the river and mountains outside my window, the lively people and the absolute overload on all of my senses (in a good way) all play a large part in every piece of art I make.” Art has become Lynette’s unexpected form of therapy and a powerful way for her self-expression during uncertain times that not only changed her routine, but also her take on life. Lynettes studio is housed in what was a silk storage facility dating back a few hundred years.